The 5-minute guide to Wichita-area games in the Kansas high school football state playoffs
To help readers catch up on the results from Friday’s sectional championship games in the Kansas high school football state playoffs, Varsity Kansas has prepared an easy-to-digest guide to the action.
Below is a rundown of how all of the Wichita-area football teams fared in the quarterfinals and which teams are advancing in the KSHSAA playoffs to the semifinal games to be played on Friday, Nov. 18.
Class 6A playoffs
Manhattan 27, Wichita Northwest 18
The rematch was more competitive than the Week 8 regular-season matchup, but ended in the same result: a Manhattan victory. The Grizzlies trimmed the deficit to 13-10 in the third quarter on a 42-yard touchdown run by L.J. Phillips and recovered a fumble on the very next drive, but a missed 35-yard field goal halted the momentum. Manhattan (11-0) scored the next two touchdowns to keep its perfect season alive, while Northwest ended the season with an 8-3 record.
Derby 36, Washburn Rural 21
The Panthers are back in the state semifinals for the 11th time in the last 12 years under coach Brandon Clark. Derby broke open a 20-14 halftime lead by scoring the next 16 points after the break, highlighted by a 70-yard passing touchdown from backup quarterback Braxton Clark to Nathan Keener to put the game away in the fourth quarter. Notre Dame commit Dylan Edwards finished with 174 rushing yards and two touchdowns, while Brock Zerger added 107 passing yards and 107 rushing yards. Derby (9-2) has played in the last seven Class 6A state championship games, but to make it eight straight, the Panthers will have to avenge their Week 1 loss at home to Manhattan, which will enter undefeated.
Class 5A playoffs
Maize 21, Hutchinson 14
Hutchinson’s defense found a way to limit the explosive attack of Maize better than anyone so far this season, but it still wasn’t enough holding the Eagles to 34 points under their season average. The Salthawks took a 14-7 lead in the second quarter on a Devon Spiller five-yard touchdown run, but Maize quarterback Avery Johnson, a K-State commit, led a scoring drive just before halftime to tie the score with a six-yard touchdown pass to Daeshaun Carter. The only score of the second half was an 81-yard touchdown bomb from Johnson to Justin Stephens with 4:40 left in the third quarter, which proved to be the game-winning score. Johnson completed a season-low passes in a 6-for-16 performance, but he made the six completions count, as they went for a total of 191 yards and three scores. The Eagles (11-0) kept their perfect season alive in Class 5A and their sights set on winning the program’s first state title.
Class 4A playoffs
Wamego 42, Andover Central 7
The theme of the night was payback for Wamego, which endured an embarrassing 48-0 loss on its home field to Andover Central in last year’s Class 4A playoffs. The Jaguars actually led the game 7-0 after the first quarter, as quarterback Braden Barscewski scrambled in on a fourth-down play from four yards out. Andover Central had a fourth-down play from the one-yard line that could have potentially given the Jaguars a 14-0 lead, but Wamego’s defense held and that proved to be the game’s pivotal moment. From there on out, it was all Red Raiders — with 42 unanswered points to advance to their first state semifinal since 1975.
McPherson 49, Circle 28
McPherson is back in the Class 4A state semifinals, where they suffered four straight excruciating losses from 2017-20 by an average of four points. The Bullpups had to withstand an early barrage in this AV-CTL Div. III rematch, as Circle took a 20-7 lead in the second quarter when Cooper Chadwell scored on a 25-yard run. But McPherson rallied with two touchdowns in the final 2:30 of the first half, capped by a 17-yard pass from Hunter Alvord to Cory Muehler for a score just three seconds before halftime. The Bullpups went on to score 42 unanswered points after falling behind by 13 in the second quarter, as Alvord and Dawson Gottwald combined for 220 rushing yards and Jaytin Gumm scored two rushing touchdowns. Circle was led by 187 rushing yards by Trevon Evans, while Ty Smith caught an 80-yard touchdown pass on the first play of the game. After winning 13 games during an 11-year span from 2010-20, the Thunderbirds (8-3) have won 14 games the last two seasons under coach Logan Clothier.
Class 3A playoffs
Andale 48, Rock Creek 0
Rock Creek entered on a nine-game winning streak and averaging more than 46 points per game. Andale’s defense put an end to that to extend the program’s winning streak to 49 games, the second-longest in the country. The three-time defending Class 3A state champions once again delivered a dominant performance, this one coming on the road for the first time in the playoffs. Andale’s defense came away with six interceptions, including three picks from Landon Harp alone, one by Noah Bruce and interceptions returned for touchdowns by Tegan Orth and Karson Butts. Meanwhile, Cody Parthemer scored three touchdowns for Andale with Riley Marx and Owen Eck adding rushing scores.
Clay Center 24, Cheney 6
After shutting out Wichita Collegiate on the road last week, Clay Center’s defense shut down another potent Wichita-area offense in Cheney in the 3A playoffs. The Cardinals trailed 17-0 at halftime and didn’t score their first points until five minutes left in the game, when Josh Burdick scored a one-yard rushing touchdown to provide the final score. Cheney finished the season with an 8-3 record.
Class 2A playoffs
Kingman 35, Beloit 6
The dream season marches on for Kingman, which is now one win away from playing for its first state championship since 1972 with a win next week. The Eagles improved to 11-0 with a convincing win over a Beloit team that topped Kingman in last year’s semifinals. A 57-yard touchdown pass from Nolan Freund to Avrey Albright seemingly flipped a switch for Kingman, which scored 28 unanswered points to finish the game. Albright added a highlight-reel 49-yard touchdown run, then Freund added a running score of his own just before halftime and found Bo Watkins for the game’s lone second-half touchdown in the Class 2A quarterfinals.
Class 1A playoffs
Conway Springs 39, Wabaunsee 14
A late-season push has Conway Springs back in the state semifinals for the first time since 2011. The Cardinals started the season with an 0-3 record but have since won seven games in a row, including a 35-14 thumping of then-No. 1 Inman in Week 7. On Friday, Brayden Kuntz helped provide Conway Springs with some cushion after a 54-yard touchdown run just before halftime for a 19-6 lead. The Cardinals scored the first 20 points after the break to put the game away, as Kunz finished with 37 carries for 288 rushing yards and four touchdowns. The wins sets up a rematch showdown with Inman for a spot in the Class 1A state title game.
Inman 28, Smith Center 6
Inman is back in the Class 1A state semifinals, thanks to a sturdy defensive effort that bottled up Smith Center’s attack. The victory ensures a rematch against Conway Springs, the team that handed the Teutons their lone loss of the season in Week 7, this time with a spot in the state championship game at stake.
8-man and 6-man playoffs
Little River 48, Chase County 40
Little River held off Chase County’s comeback bid to punch its ticket back to the 8-man Division 1 state semifinals. Little River will look to reach its third straight state championship game with a win next Friday in the semifinals against Burlingame.
Canton-Galva 52, Lebo 6
The perfect season of Canton-Galva rolled on, as the team has now outscored its opponents 612-68 during an 11-0 season. Canton-Galva will face off against Axtell in the 8-man Division 2 state playoffs next Friday.
Cunningham 58, Wetmore 12
The undefeated season for Cunningham was never in doubt in Friday’s 6-man quarterfinals. The top-ranked Wildcats have outscored opponents 490-61 this season, and they will play Waverly in the semifinals.
This story was originally published November 12, 2022 at 6:00 AM.
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